In 1910, Viipuri had minorities of Swedes (5,000) and Russians (3,200–4,000),[1] as well as smaller ethnic groups of Germans, Jews and Islamic Tatars.

[5] Historian Teemu Keskisarja considers a spark that set off the killings was the news that a gang of drunk Red Guards led by Hjalmar Kaipiainen (Kaipiainen was himself captured and executed on 23 May 1918) had entered Viborg County Gaol during the Battle of Viipuri and murdered 30 White Guard prisoners.

[6][9] Executions were committed by the Vaasa and Kajaani regiments, which were parts of the Eastern Army of the White Guards, led by the General Major Ernst Löfström.

The next day on May 3 Rudolf Walden sent the following telegram from Mikkeli to G. A. Finne, the new city commandant: "Take the strongest actions to prevent violence towards innocent Polish, Ukrainians and Russians.

After the war, General Karl Fredrik Wilkama was considered to be responsible for the massacre, but neither he nor anyone else was ever convicted or even charged in a court of law.

[9] On May 10 Löfström sent a telegram to headquarters requesting permission to distribute aid, especially monetary, to Russians who had suffered and had been robbed of personal property.

[6] 37 of the slain were members of other ethnic groups living in Viipuri, including 23 Polish soldiers of the Imperial Russian Army, several Ukrainians, Estonians, Jews and Tatars, two Italians and one Baltic German.

Most of the killed Russian civilians were workers as well as administrators working for the City of Viipuri, merchants, businessmen or handicraftsmen, also several noblemen were executed.

Two of the murdered teenagers were the 13 and 15-year-old sons of Lieutenant Colonel Georgi Bulatsel who was one of the highest ranked Russian officers fighting for the Reds.